Collapsible poultry-coop.



J. M. VAUGHAN. COLLAESIBLE POULTRY COOP. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 3. 1912.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- J. M VAUGHAN. COLLAPSIBLE POULTRY COOP. APPLICATIONFILED nor. 3. I912.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

cowmnm PLANDGRAPH c0. \vAsmNu'roN. D. c.

JAMES M. vAueHAN, OIEVOWENSBORO, KnnrUcnY.

cbtmsism oomer-door;

Stratification of Letters Patent.

rammed Ju1y13, 1915.

Application filed October 3, 1912. Serial No. 723,792.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES M. ,VAUGHAN,citizen of the United States, residing at Owensboro, in the county ofDaviess and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Collapsible Poultry-Coops, of which the following is aspecification. v t

This invention relates to poultry coops and aims to provide as asubstitute for the ordinary wooden coop, one which-may be usedfromseason to season and will be entirely sanitary and affordthe fowls'therein ample protection from rodentsand from the elements, v I aAnother aim of the invention is to provide a knock-down coop which maybe conveniently stored away when not in use and which may be at any timethoroughly cleaned. 7 7 3 Another object of the invention is to providea knock-down sheet metal coop devoi of hinges and other connectingelements of a like nature which would be liable to rust or become brokenand incidentally the invention aims to provide means for holding thesections of the coop in asse mbled relation, which means willbe-substantial andso constructed as to permit of the coop being-setup orknocked down in a short space of time conveniently, and without the useof tools of anycharacter,whatsoever.

Still another aim'of the invention is to so construct the coop that thefloor thereof will be supported a greater or less distance above theground surface so that the surface of the ground beneath the coop willremain dry.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in

which: 7 y A I v Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coop embodyingthe present invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the coop. Fig.-- 3is a vertical sectional view on theline 33 of Fig.2. Fig 4 is a groupperspective view illustrating the parts of the coop disassembled. 4

Corresponding andlike parts are referred to in the following descriptionand indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the samereference characters. I

In the drawings. the .coop. is illustrated as including a bottom .orfioor indicated in gen- 5 eralpby the reference numeral 1 and sidewalls2 and 3. Each of these elements is in- I rectangle or triangle. Theside-wall 2 of the coop-body has its lower. edge-portion overbent as at5 to form a locking-bead projecting from the inner face of theside-wall, or in other words that face which is presented inwardly whenthe side-wall is in set-up position. The upper edge-portion of the sidewall 2 is over-bent as at 6 to'form a lockingbead which projects beyondthe outer face of the side-wall and the beads'5 and 6 are substantiallyof the same form in cross-sec tion as the beads 4c. The side-wall 3 ofthe coop has its lower edge portion .overbent to form a locking-bead 7and its upper edge portion'bent to form a similar bead 8, the bead 7being of a crosssectional contour to fit one of the beads 4 and the bead8 being of a form to fit the bead 6. It will now be apparent from theforegoing and from an inspection of Fig 2 of thedrawing's that the'beads5 and 7 each fit about one of the beads 4E and that the bead 8 fits overthe head 6, when the front and side-walls are setup, and it will furtherbeapparent from the showing of the said figure that the beads 5 and 7serve to space the body-portion of the bottom or floor 1 from thegroundsurface upon which these beads rest so that there may be a freecirculation of air beneath the said floor 1 and serve to keep the floordry. In addition to the floor 1, and side walls 2 and 3, the coopincludes a front-wall Qand a rear-wall 10,

these last mentioned walls being supported between the side-walls 2 and3 in the manner which will now be described.

In supporting the front and rear-walls I make use ofcleats, each ofwhich is'for'med from a strip of sheet-metal folded longi-Q tudinallyupon itself as at 11 to form an attaching flange or portion 12 oftwo-ply thickness. One-of the'fold's isbent as at 13 to form a flange 14projecting at right angles from'the attaching portion 11 andthe said"fold of the said attaching portion is extended laterally beyond the bend13 and is bent as at 15 to form a flange 16 located in spaced parallelrelation with respect to the flange 14:. Two of the cleats abovedescribed are arranged upon the inner face of each of the side-walls 2and 3 and one located adj acent each end of the respective walls, theybeing secured in place by means of rivets 17 secured through therespective walls 2 or 3, as the case may be.

It is preferable that the attaching portions of the cleats upon each ofthe sidewalls be presented toward each other, and as will be observedfrom an inspection of Fig. a of the drawing, the. cleats extend parallelto the adjacent end-edges of the wall upon which they are mounted. Thefront and rear-walls 9 and 10 of the coop are also formed of sheet metaland each is substantially triangular in form. As shown in the drawingsthe basal edge 18 of the forward wall 9 rests upon the upper side of thefloor 1 when the members of the coop are in set-up or assembled relationand the sideedges 19 of the said wall 9 are received between the flanges14 and 16 of the cleats which are located adjacent the forward ends ofthe walls 2 and 3. In a like manner the basal edge of the rear wall 10rests upon the upper side of the floor 1 and its side edges are receivedbetween the flanges l t and 16 of the cleats which are located adjacentthe rear ends of the side walls. At this point it will be seen that thefront and rear ,;walls are firmly supported when the coop is set-up andthat they serve to brace the side walls of the coop against collapse orbeing pressed or sprung inwardly.

The front wall 9 is formed with a dooraotway 20 and secured upon theforward side of the said wall at each side of the doorway is a guide,including an attaching portion 21 and a flange 22 which lies in spacedrelation to the said spaced wall. The flanges 22 lproject toward eachother from opposite sides of the doorway, as clearly shown in Figs. 2and 4t and receive between them and the wall 9 the lateral edges of thedoor of the coop, which door is indicated in the drawings by the numeral23. The door 23 is formed of sheet metal and at its upper end isnarrowed and bent to form a forwardly projecting finger-piece 24: whichmay be grasped for the purpose of sliding the door vertically in theguides which are arranged at the sides of the doorway.

It will be understood at this point that when the door 23 is in loweredposition, or in other words is closed, the chickens within the coop willbe effectually protected from rodents and from the elements, nor canthey escape from the coop. It is however, desirable, that the door beleft open at times so as to permit the chickens to enter and leave thecoop at will, and for this reason it is necessary that means be providedfor supporting the door in raised position. In thls connection I haveconceived the idea of utilizing the flanges 16 of the cleats. As stated,the door is of sheet metal as are also the said flanges and the saidfront Wall 9, and the upper corners of the door are cut at an angle asat 25 so that when the door is moved to raised position its said uppercorners may enter between the flanges 16 and the forwardly presentedface of the front 9 and be frictionally held whereby the door will besupported in the position stated.

Preferably, the walls 9 and 10 are formed near their upper ends withventilating openings 26.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seen thatthere is provided a coop which may be readily set-up and knocked-down,which is substantial in construction, and which will effectually protectthe chickens housed within it from rodents and from the elements. Itwill also be apparent that there are no hingedly connected parts whichare liable to get out of order and that the floor of the coop is supported above the ground surface so that it will be at all times dry.

In dis-assembling the parts of the coop, the coop is placed on end andthe floor 1 is then slid out of position between the lower ends of theside-walls, whereupon the said side-walls may be slightly spread apartto release the end-walls 9 and 10 and may then be completely separated.In setting up the coop, this operation is of course reversed.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In acoop, a floor, side-walls, means slidably connecting the side walls attheir lower ends to the floor at opposite sides thereof, similar meansslidably connecting the upper ends of the side walls, an endwalldisposed at its lower edge upon the floor and extending between the sidewalls, and grooved cleats upon the side-walls spaced inwardly from theends of the said walls and receiving the side-edge-portions of the saidend-wall and supporting the said wall in upright position.

2. In a coop, inclined side-walls separably connected at their upperends, a floor slidably removably connected at its sides with the lowerends of the side walls and restrainmg the side-walls against separationat their lower ends, channeled cleats upon the said side-Walls, and anend-wall disposed between the side-walls and fitting at its lateraledges in the channels of the cleats and resting freely upon the floor. k

3. In a coop, inclined side-wals, separably connected at their upperends, means restraining the side-walls against separat1on at their lowerends, channeled cleats upon the said side-Walls, an end-wall disposedbetween the side-walls and fitting at its lateral edges in the channelsof the cleats, the said end-wall being provided with a door opening, anda door slidably mounted upon the said wall and arranged when moved toopen position, to be frictionally gaged by the outer walls of thechannels of the cleats and the end walls, the channels being wider thanthe thickness of the end wall and by such engagement to be held in openposition. i

4. In a coop, a floor having its lateral edges overturned to form beads,side walls having interlocking beads at their upper edges and providedat their lower edges with inwardly turned beads engaging with the beadsat the lateral edges of the floor, the said floor constituting the solemeans for holding the lower ends of the side walls against relativedisplacement, grooved cleats upon the inner sides of the side walls adjacent the ends thereof, and substantially triangular end walls disposedbetween the side walls with their inclined edges fitting within thegrooves in the cleats, the said end walls constituting means forpreventing longitudinal displacement of the side walls with respect toeach other and the said floor being wholly disconnected from the endwalls and constituting the sole supporting means for the said end walls.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.JAMES M. VAUGHAN.

WVitnesses:

K. M. SWEENEY, E. M. WIMSATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

